| While bacteria are not new, humans' discovery of | | | | wear different clothes in the hospital, than when they |
| them was somewhat recent. Who was the first | | | | conducted autopsies. |
| person actually to see bacteria? That was a cloth | | | | Although Semmelweis's theory about bacteria |
| merchant named Anton van Leeuwenhoek, from | | | | impacting the spread of diseases-was correct. His |
| Holland. No, he did not have Superman eyes. One day, | | | | theories were quite unpopular, during his lifetime. In fact, |
| Leeuwenhoek was improving magnifying lenses, so he | | | | he lost various positions due to them, while the medical |
| could better evaluate a cloth's weave. For whatever | | | | world labeled him as insane. |
| reason, he using one of his outstanding lenses, to | | | | GOT PASTEURIZED MILK? |
| examine some drops of pond water. The itty-bitty | | | | Though he never lived to see his theories verified, |
| microbes that Leeuwenhoek saw moving around the | | | | Louis Pastuer and Robert Koch would make |
| water, changed medical history forever. | | | | Semmelweis a prophet. They provided solid evidence |
| SMALL CRITTERS MAKE SMALL IMPACT | | | | that a link between bacteria and transmittable |
| Throughout the late 1970s, Leeuwenhoek then sent | | | | diseases, indeed existed. This eventually became the |
| several meticulous sketches to London's Royal | | | | "germ theory" Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, when |
| Society. These sketches included smaller organisms | | | | they conducted many important experiments. Pastuer |
| with single cells, as well as "larger" types of bacteria. | | | | developed pasteurization, which involved boiling to |
| In retrospect, we would probably assume that | | | | destroy bacteria and lengthen the life of the food. |
| Leeuwenhoek's discovery would quickly revolutionize | | | | Meanwhile, Koch proved that a type of bacterium |
| the world of science and medicine. That never | | | | caused anthrax, a disease. |
| happened. For nearly two centuries, the world at large | | | | THE GERM THEORY AND THE LISTERINE GUY |
| perceived his finding as fascinating, though irrelevant. | | | | The works of John Snow was significant in verifying |
| Perhaps the problem was that people could not truly | | | | the Germ Theory. He revealed how bacteria could |
| value things that seemed to be as significant in their | | | | spread after impurities seeped into water that Britons |
| day-to-day lives, as the number of stars in the | | | | used for drinking and cooking. His work resulted in |
| universe. | | | | more sanitary hospitals, and water systems. |
| SEMMELWEIS AND THE GERM THEORY | | | | Meanwhile, Joseph Lister, for whom Listerine is named, |
| Arguably the scientific and medical world did not value | | | | created antiseptics to reduce infections during |
| Leeuwenhoek's work, until the link between bacteria | | | | surgeries. |
| and the transfer of diseases, was discovered. | | | | From the discovery of bacteria to understanding the |
| However, prior to the development of the Germ | | | | link between bacteria and diseases, the work of |
| Theory of disease, an Austran named Ignaz | | | | several bold researchers, has resulted in a better |
| Semmelweis discovered something significant. He | | | | understanding of the microscope world of bacteria. |
| observed that doctors' failing to wash their hands | | | | Today, various techniques, such as the wearing of |
| resulted in more fatalities in a maternity hospital. | | | | scrubs, can effectively prevent bacteria from |
| Although hygienic cheap urbane scrubs were not | | | | spreading. Germ Theory has become germ fact! |
| available yet, Semmelweis suggested that doctors | | | | |